Family, friends mourn Connecticut sailor killed in ship collision

The container ship ACX Crystal with its left bow dented and scraped after colliding with the USS Fitzgerald in the waters off the Izu Peninsula on Saturday, June 17, 2017, is berthed at the Yokohama port near Tokyo, Monday, June 19, 2017. The ships collided about early Saturday, when the Navy said most of the 300 sailors on board would have been sleeping, and authorities have declined to speculate on a cause while the crash remains under investigation.(Hiroshi Kashimura/Kyodo News via AP) less

The container ship ACX Crystal with its left bow dented and scraped after colliding with the USS Fitzgerald in the waters off the Izu Peninsula on Saturday, June 17, 2017, is berthed at the Yokohama port near ... more

Photo: Hiroshi Kashimura / Associated Press

Photo: Hiroshi Kashimura / Associated Press

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The container ship ACX Crystal with its left bow dented and scraped after colliding with the USS Fitzgerald in the waters off the Izu Peninsula on Saturday, June 17, 2017, is berthed at the Yokohama port near Tokyo, Monday, June 19, 2017. The ships collided about early Saturday, when the Navy said most of the 300 sailors on board would have been sleeping, and authorities have declined to speculate on a cause while the crash remains under investigation.(Hiroshi Kashimura/Kyodo News via AP) less

The container ship ACX Crystal with its left bow dented and scraped after colliding with the USS Fitzgerald in the waters off the Izu Peninsula on Saturday, June 17, 2017, is berthed at the Yokohama port near ... more

Photo: Hiroshi Kashimura / Associated Press

Family, friends mourn Connecticut sailor killed in ship collision

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On Friday, Lan Huynh sent her big brother a message on Facebook, wishing him a happy birthday.

U.S. Navy sailor Ngoc T. Truong Huynh, a Connecticut resident who was stationed on a warship in Japanese waters, thanked her. But when he didn’t respond to other birthday messages, his family started to worry.

On Saturday, his family received word that Huynh, 25, of Oakville, was among seven sailors missing after their ship, the destroyer USS Fitzgerald, had collided with a container ship. On Sunday, the Navy reported that all seven had died.

On Monday, Lan Huynh shared memories and thoughts with The News-Times via Facebook about her brother, a Navy sonar technician who went by the nickname “Tan.”

“Those who never met him really missed out on a beautiful soul,” Lan Huynh said. “He gave and gave and never asked for anything back. He might have looked intimidating, but he was actually the total opposite. He was so shy and quiet around strangers, but when you got to know him, he was so loving and innocent.

“I’m told from multiple of his shipmates that he talked about his family all the time,” his sister said. “While he was proud of us, we were even prouder of him for taking the courageous step to serve. We never saw him more happy than when he was in the Navy.”

Ngoc T. Truong Huynh was born on June 16, 1992, in Vietnam. Two years later, his family moved to the United States. The oldest of four children, he became an American citizen in 2009.

His sister said he enjoyed video games, hiking and spending time with his siblings.

Huynh attended several public schools, including those in Plainville and Watertown. He also studied at Naugatuck Valley Community College before enlisting in the Navy in 2014. His family moved to Oklahoma a short time later.

“He was a quiet and respectful young man who did his school work,” said Paul Jones, principal of Watertown High School. “We’re honored by his service and saddened by his loss.”

In a statement, Plainville High School offered its condolences to Huynh’s “family, friends, crew members, and all those who knew him.”

“Tan is remembered by faculty and staff at Plainville High School as a kind-hearted, respectful, and polite young man,” according to the statement.

“The members of the military and their families make so many sacrifices to serve our nation, and (Sunday) is a sad and tragic reminder of what these men and women risk in defense of our nation every day,” said Malloy in a statement.

Flags will remain at half-staff until burial or memorial services are held, the statement said.

“(Sunday’s) tragedy reminds us in the starkest terms what an enormous sacrifice our military men and women and their families make in service to our nation,” said Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for their courage and commitment. Our hearts are with Ngoc Truong Huynh’s family as they grieve, and the other families who lost loved ones.”

Daisy Cocco De Filippis, president of Naugatuck, sent an email to the community college’s students and staff to tell them about Huynh’s death.

“NVCC offers its heartfelt condolences to his family and friends as they mourn the loss of this brave young man,” she said. “Sonar Technician Huynh made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and for that we will be forever grateful.”